Tag: scam

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Ontario police investigating Netflix refund phone scam

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say they’re investigating an incident in which someone fell victim to a Netflix refund scam.

In a news release, police said they received a report of fraud from an individual in the Thames Centre municipality just east of London. According to the individual, got a call from an unknown number from someone claiming to work for Netflix.

The caller reportedly told them they were eligible for a refund and asked for their banking information, which they provided. An undisclosed sum was then taken from their bank account.

OPP didn’t provide any information on a potential suspect, and it’s also unclear if this is an isolated incident. However, police are advising citizens to “verify any unsolicited requests before you respond or provide personal information” and to “hang up the phone or delete the sender’s profile” if you feel pressured.

Per the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, 107,240 reports of fraud were received in 2021. This year alone, there’s been more than 75,000 reports of fraud as of October 31st, 2022, resulting in an estimated $420 million worth of losses. Those figures will undoubtedly rise, especially as many Canadians shop online for Black Friday.

You can report fraud or cybercrime to the Anti-Fraud Centre here.

Via: CP24

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Mobile Syrup

CRTC hosts scam communications meeting with international counterparts

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) hosted a meeting between regulators from five countries to discuss methods to combat scams.

Regulators from Canada, Australia, Ireland, Hong Kong, and the U.S. met for the Combating Scam Communications meeting to discuss cross-border enforcement challenges and international collaboration to strike down against scam communications.

“Unlawful spam and unwanted calls continue to be major threats to consumers around the globe. Coordinating our efforts internationally is the only way we can tackle this issue,” Ian Scott, the CRTC’s Chairperson, said. “By doing so, we are increasing our chances of protecting our citizens from those engaging in illegal and damaging activities.”

The regulators will continue to collaborate, share information, and seek out other countries that may be the source of such communications or suffering from it.

Source: CRTC

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Mobile Syrup

SHAKEN/STIR technology goes into effect, promising a reduction of spam calls

Canadians can now benefit from new technology that will let them know if incoming calls are spoofed.

Service providers now have to verify if an incoming call can be trusted by verifying the information for Internet Protocol-based calls.

SHAKEN/STIR technology, a framework that authenticates caller ID, is being used to implement the change. Secure Telephony Information Revisited (STIR) enables providers to validate an incoming call. Signature-based Handling of Asserted Information using Tokens (SHAKEN) is the larger framework used by network providers.

The change was implemented by the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).

“Bad actors who have no interest in following the rules [and] have been contributing to an erosion of confidence in the telecommunications system,” CRTC chair, Ian Scott, said at the Canadian Telecom Summit on November 15th.

The CRTC has taken numerous other steps to stop these types of calls. This includes encouraging providers to offer call-filtering services and asking them to block specific calls. The organization is currently working on a process to trace scam calls back to their original point of origin.

The CRTC warns, however, that all calls will be verified by the new technology because of device and network capabilities.

“This new caller ID technology will empower Canadians to determine which calls are legitimate and worth answering, and which need to be treated with caution. As more providers upgrade their networks, STIR/SHAKEN will undoubtedly reduce spoofing and help Canadians regain peace of mind when answering phone calls,” Scott said of the new change.

Source: CRTC